President of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Muhammad Ikram Rajput, has strongly condemned lobbying efforts at the international level aimed at revoking Pakistan’s GSP+ status, calling such actions a grave threat to national interests.
Rajput said that at a time when Pakistan’s economy is at a fragile stage of recovery and the global economic environment is already under stress due to ongoing geopolitical tensions and conflicts, targeting the country’s trade advantages is highly detrimental. He emphasised that the European Union’s GSP+ status serves as the backbone of Pakistan’s export sector, granting preferential access to European markets for key industries, particularly textiles, which are directly linked to the livelihoods of millions.
“Any attempt to undermine GSP+ is equivalent to an attack on the national economy,” he stated, adding that the facility is vital for sustaining export growth, industrial activity, and employment across the country.
Rajput further remarked that GSP+ is Pakistan’s economic lifeline and must not be exploited for personal or political gains. He warned that encouraging external actors to take adverse economic measures against Pakistan reflects irresponsibility and signals a dangerous trend of internationalising domestic political disputes at the cost of national credibility.
He said that millions of jobs are tied to GSP+, and any disruption to this status would have severe consequences for workers, industrialists, and the broader economy. “Political differences may exist, but targeting the country’s economic interests is unacceptable,” he asserted.
The KATI president stressed that the business and export community would strongly resist any move that threatens Pakistan’s trade standing. “This is not a matter of opinion but a deliberate attempt to inflict economic damage,” he said, adding that the business community views such campaigns as economic sabotage against Pakistan.
He urged the government to take the matter seriously and defend national economic interests at all forums. Rajput also cautioned that those advocating for sanctions or the withdrawal of trade concessions are effectively jeopardizing the future of Pakistan’s workforce and industrial base.
He termed such efforts as crossing a “red line,” stating that any move to harm Pakistan’s GSP+ status would not be tolerated by the country’s business community
